Better Late Than Never
by feelswholocked
Summary: It's been 5 years since Rose was stuck on Pete's Earth. Is today the day when something finally happens?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N hey guys, Chiara here! I got a promt in school and managed to turn it into a fanfiction. Here is an introduction to what I hope will be an adorable reunion (journey's end didn't happen) **_

Rose slowly came back to consciousness and opened her eyes.  
She was dreaming of him again; the warm feeling that she was currently experiencing slipped away slowly as she came to the hash realization that it was indeed only a dream.  
She sat up and looked around. Same old room, same old life.

Stuck on Pete's earth for 5 years felt like a lifetime. At first, she lived on hope that he might find a way back to her, but as the months passed, so did her anticipation and the days morphed together.  
She was working for Torchwood, still, but it was nothing like she thought it would be. She wasn't going to different planets, light years away from earth; she wasn't meeting new people and she was definitely not saving the universe. She was in a rather large office, left to deal with the aftermath of little incidents involving alien bugs or flying objects.  
It got so bad, she was starting to wish for a Slitheen to pop up, dreaming about visiting Raxacoricofallapatorius. But, alas, she was still in Pete's London, with Mickey, zeppelins, and no Doctor.

While she was lost in thoughts of her old life, her mother shouts up at her. "Rose, ROSE, come down, quickly!" she exclaimed hurriedly.  
Rose slowly got up, taking her sweet time. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be interested in what her mother wanted to tell her.

Even her own mother had become boring, repetitive and annoying, trying in vain to make Rose enjoy her life on Parallel Earth.

"What do you want?" asked Rose, quite annoyed. She looked up when she didn't get an answer, and found Jackie holding something in her hand, her eyes wide, as if they couldn't believe it was really there.  
"Mum, what is that?" she asked, a spark out genuine curiosity igniting in her.

"It's a letter" she answered softly. "It's from the Doctor."


	2. Chapter 2

Rose stood with her mouth agape for at least 2 minutes, and Jackie didnt feel right. She wanted to be alone while reading it, just her and her Doctor, without the curious eyes of Jackie, and the disappointedly jealous glances that Mickey was sending her way.

With a curt nod, she turned her back and ran up the stairs. It was for the first time in 5 years that she finally felt a smile tugging at her lips. She obviously smiled before, but it was the first time she genuinely meant it. She took a closer glance at the letter. The paper was beige and a bit worn out, which made her wonder how long ago he wrote that. She turned it around and saw the address

_Rose Tyler,_

_Tyler Mansion_

_London, England_

She saw the date. It was addressed to 5 years before that day. It took 5 years for the letter to come. How long had he been waiting for an answer before the letter finally reached its destination.

With trembling hands she opened the letter and a necklace fell out. She decided that she would first read the letter, and then try the necklace on, because her curiosity, as always, got the better of her.

_Dearest Rose,_

_It has now been two months since Bad Wolf Bay, and I keep replaying our conversation in my head. I'm sorry, I should have realized I ran out of time. It kills me that I didn't get to finish the sentence, so I'll have to do it now, hoping that the letter reached you, and you are reading it right now._

_Rose Marion Tyler, I love you. _

_Rose, my Rose, I promise with both my hearts that I am doing all I can to find a way back to you. It is impossible to travel between parallel worlds, but Ill fall through a crack in time and space again and finally see you again._

_I miss you terribly. The TARDIS misses you as well; she stopped going to wrong places on purpose and her lights are always dimmed. I found a companion, her name is Martha. I think she fancies me, but I love you, and I don't want to give her false hopes._

_Anyway, you are probably wondering what the necklace is. It's a piece of TARDIS coral; if you put it on and wrap your hand around it, you can still hear her hum. Fantastic, isn't it? That way, it'll feel like you're closer next to me. _

_Rose Tyler, I love you, and I hope to see you soon._

_Love,_

_Your Doctor_

By the time Rose finished reading the letter, she was sobbing uncontrollably. She cried and cried, and when she was out of tears, she cried a little more. She was laying sprawled on the bed when she realized that he still hasn't found a way to get to her, so she sat up and quickly got dressed.

Maybe she will have to find him.

She wanted to leave immediately, but she knew she needed some equipment from Torchwood, and she wanted to tell her family where she was going. She knew they'd worry if she just left all over again; so she took her purse and left for work.

Every day, she would sneak a bag full of things out of her office, and she kept going until she had what she thought would be useful.  
By the time she took and packed everything, spring was just around the corner, and she was determined to have her Doctor by her side in the next holiday. The sadness that she felt these past few years had been replaced with determination and she knew in her heart that she was going to have him back, no matter how much longer it took.

She woke up, clasped her necklace around her neck and mentally prepared herself to tell Jackie her news. She knew her mum wouldn't approve, but she also knew that Jackie would rather have her daughter back completely rather than having a sad, angry Rose slouching around the house.

Jackie, Pete, Mickey and Tony were sitting at the kitchen table. She opened the door and took a deep breath.

She cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her.

"I need to talk to you" she said softly


	3. Chapter 3

_She cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her. "I need to talk to you" she said softly._

"Rose, is something wrong?" asked Jackie. "Is it about the letter you got from the Doctor? What did it say?"  
She went on asking a billion questions until Pete thankfully stopped her with a hand signal.

"Relax Jacks, i'm sure she's going to explain everything now" he said.

Rose sat down at the table, and looked at Mickey for reassurance. He nodded and she started.

"I got a letter from the Doctor that was supposed to be here 5 years ago." she said, a sad smile marrying her features. She took it out of her pocket and gave it to her mum, as she knew that she was curious.

Jackie started crying immediately and Rose knew that she was going to let her go anywhere now. Because she had to find her Doctor. Because she knew that they needed to find each other, she knew that it didn't matter how much Jackie disapproved, she was going to have to come to terms with the fact that Rose Tyler's home is in the TARDIS, with a 900 year old alien.  
She noticed Jackie glancing down at the necklace Rose had her hand wrapped around. Rose took it off and gave it to Jackie. The latter closed her eyes and her head filled with the reassuring hum of the TARDIS. She smiled softly and gav e her the necklace back.

Jackie wiped away the tears and looked straight into Rose's eyes.  
"What do you need?" she asked, determined to help her daughter.

"I think that the reason the Doctor isn't here yet is because he can't, and i'm going to find a way to bring him here." stated Rose, matter-of-factly.

Mickey spoke up. "You think that it's because something is stopping him from this side?" he couldn't help but sound a bit skeptical, thinking this was never going to work. He liked the Doctor now, found him awesome and rad, but he couldn't help but remember his other form, the one with the nose and the ears; the one that called him "Mickey The Idiot" and stole his Rose away from him.  
Blinking and shaking it off, he looked at Pete.

"Do you think it's going to work?"

"It's worth a shot, what harm can it do?" asked Pete. That wasn't quite true, though; it could do a lot of harm to everybody, but they overlooked that. He continued: "But, Rose; you might not succeed. I know you don't want to hear this, and that we should be supportive, but there is a huge possibility that you don't get him back" he said.

She was about to retort when he interrupted her, much like he did Jackie.

"Rose, I - we're all behind you in this, and we'll help in any way we can."

Jackie continued for him: "we don't want to see you hurt." she said, who wasn't so keen on the idea of her looking for the Doctor, not as much as Pete was, and she was sure he was just agreeing with her to get on her good side.

"Look, Rose" said Jackie. "What if you don't find him? What if you spend years of your life looking for him and it doesn't work? What then?" asked Jackie, desperation present in her voice.

"What do you want me to do, mum?" asked Rose defensively, her voice raising more than she should. "What if he's trying to find a way back and he can't?"  
Jackie tried to speak up. "Rose, se..."

"NO, mum, listen. I have to. I spent 5 years here. 5 YEARS without the Doctor, and i've had enough. I'm sick of not being around him, not going places. I have woken up every day for 5 years thinking i was in the TARDIS before everything comes back to me. I want to be with him. Canary Wharf should have never happened, and even if I take years to get him back, it'll be worth it." at this point, she wasn't angry at all, but silent tears were marrying her face.

Jackie was crying as well. In 5 years she never spoke this much, definitely not about the Doctor; she knew her and him were inseparable, but she didn't know how much she actually missed him.

"Ok, Rose. What are you going to do now, then?"

"I..." started Rose, but she found the words to be caught in her throat. She couched and continued.

"I'm moving to Norway."


End file.
